Last day in Athens...Thursday, July 9th

Noooooooooo!  I'm about to head home to the laundry I left out, the mail that must be piled up filled with bills, and things I need to do to get really for work again.  It has been so nice to forget all of that and enjoy Greece.



I decided to make sure I soaked in things today that are unique about this area of Athens.  I ate on the rooftop for breakfast and had a great view of the acropolis.




I walked down to Starbucks and people-watched the locals opening their shops and workers walking to their jobs.

I ate lunch in a cafe in Syntagma Square so I could see the vendors, protestors, and tourists make use of the pleasant space.

I bought a new carryon...because I needed it.

Greece has been a great place to visit.  It has so many ancient buildings and artifacts and it was exciting to be here during such a historic time in their history.

Panoramic View from rooftop restaurant.  Parliament on left and Syntagma Square directly in front/below

Hey! I'm a Spice! - Wednesday, July 8th

Tuesday, I was able to walk over to one of the original areas where my group shopped a couple weeks ago.  I even found the souvlaki place again.  Yum!  After a break back at the hotel I ended up having dinner in the hotel to make sure I wasn't on my feet too much.

Small 16th Century Chapel with big
building built around it.

Today I was a bit more adventurous.  I explored past the Starbucks and roamed in and out of little passage ways.  I'm not even sure exactly where I ended up but all I had to do was have people point me in the direction of Syntagma Square and I was able to find my way to the hotel.  Woohoo!

I made a first attempt to pack things....it wasn't a pretty sight.  My bags are stuffed to the brim and I have things that don't fit.  Luckily, I must not be the only tourist that has this issue because in the cutesy alleyways filled with tourist shops, there are luggage shops too.  I intend to figure out what size bag I need to purchase (it will need to be a carryon since I already have two checked bags...someday I will learn not to pack so much to begin with....)

Old Church with pigeon hanging out in shade

On my journeys today, I found a spice pack with my name on it.  Cool!  If I didn't have bags that were already full, I would have bought it but with my luck, it would cause the zippers on my bags to burst open from being too packed.

Twist and Shout...because you hurt your ankle...Monday, July 6th.

I was sad to see almost everyone else take off this morning.  Well, I guess I didn't really "see" them take off.  After all, a lot of them had to be on the bus at 3:45am.  So, I mean "see" in the not-so-literal sense of the word...but I bet you figured that out already.  You clever person, you!

There were a few of us at the hotel so it was great being able to have one last breakfast with people from the writing program.  Around noon, I left the Emmantina in Glyfada (suburb of Athens where we stayed with the group) and headed back to my plush hotel in Athens.

Originally, all their rooms had been sold out.  However, thanks to the Greek financial crisis taking place right outside the hotel, some rooms opened up.  Woohoo!  I was able to get an inner courtyard room in the hotel.  When I arrived, the reception lady told me that my room was ready but that I needed to go to the Reception Room on the Butler level to check in.  I was asked to have a seat at an elegant desk and a couple of tall, dark and handsome twenty-something men were asking if I needed anything.  Somehow I managed to get out "water" and I drank it all as I tried to figure out what I was doing on a floor with butlers.    What do I do with a butler?  Should I put on my best outfit to stay on this floor?  Should I fake a British accent (which I am horrible at) to at least pretend that I am more sophisticated than I really am?  Are the butlers judging me?  So much pressure.  Butler George helped me to my room and gave me his business card in case I needed to contact him.



After my bags arrived in the room (much faster than my first non-butler floor visit a couple of weeks ago), I set off to the Starbucks that I knew was nearby.  Along the way, I found where the Princess Cruise lines drop off all their tours and decided to check out the shops that they felt were worthy of their customers.  The main one was a larger tourist shop and I found a few things I had wanted.  When my arms started getting full, I noticed some shopping baskets and leaned over to place my items in them.

Did I trip on the steep stairs of the Acropolis?  No.
Did I tumble down the hill at the Temple of Poseidon?  No.
Did I fall during the many days on a hillside resort in Crete?  No.
Did I twist my ankle on a 4-inch step inside a tourist shop in Athens?  Yep.

A couple of people stopped to make sure I was alright.  One older guy complimented me on making sure the olive oil and other stuff in my hands made it into the basket as I was falling.  (I actually had tried to do that too so I was glad someone gave me credit for being successful.)

After the employees gave me somewhere to sit and some water (Why does a twisted ankle make you feel so icky???), I purchased what was in my bag and then hobbled the rest of the way to Starbucks (priorities, you know.)  I figured I'd better get my Frappuccino before my ankled got too stiff to want to move at all.  I rested for a bit then somehow made it back to my hotel room.  I didn't see any ankle braces inside the pharmacy stores but I didn't ask.

I treated myself to room service then wondered if I would need to have Butler George do all the things I was hoping to do myself.  Could George get the gifts for others I had wanted to purchase?  Could George hunt down an ankle bandage for me?  Could George find me ice?  I did some internet searches on what hotel butlers could do and it sounded like those might all be possibilities.  However I was relieved to wake up the next morning and, although still puffy and sore, I was able to walk and shop without needing George.  ;)

A Quick Recap and Back in Athens - Sunday, July 5th

In spite of the many, many stairs, the resort was great.  How was it possible that I walked and climbed so much and gained weight?!? Well, it could be the non-stop yummy food that the resort served.  My favorite things were the tasty feta cheese, huge assortment of various olive oils, and the incredible al dente pasta at the chef's stations.

Now, sometimes there were some super aggressive people that couldn't wait a few seconds for people to get out of their way and it really bugged me.  For example, there was a person at the small water fountain getting sparkling water and the nozzle for still water was right next to it.  I was waiting for the person to move to get to the water so I wouldn't crowd the guy and a young adult swoops in and gets water.  She's on my list! (My imaginary list of people who need a stern talking to...in actuality, I'll just glare at the back of their head for a bit  (or, perhaps vent about it on my blog) before realizing that they don't care that they bugged me.)  

We had incredible views of the water at every meal.  The architects did a great job of maximizing the number of tables that had water views.  It was also a great location for our course because we were all eating in the same area which meant that we got to know everyone better this year compared to last year when we had to fend for our own meals each time.  Hurray for group bonding!   

We had to write an ode for our interdisciplinary portion of the trip.  I am no poet but I couldn't resist doing one for the resort.  Although I like my Ode to Nutella from last year, I now know that odes are supposed to have three main parts.  In order to ensure that my ode to Fodele Beach Resort was in proper form, I modeled it after Ode to a Grecian Urn.  ;)

Ode to a Cretan All-Inclusive Resort

Thou beacon of rest that sits on a hill,

Thou who reaches from the azure frothy waters

To the plastic water slide near the cloud filled sky,

Thou whose rooms provide a peaceful morsel of sleep

Away from other travelers basking in the many delights of thine offerings.

What delight thou bringest to the weary traveler—

People who desire a respite from the day-to-day grind

That eats away at the very marrow of existence

When at last a ray of solitude breaks through the gray clouds of work.

What men and women work thou has selected to serve the masses that

Assemble on thine halls, pathways, and courts

To ensure all will find their personal piece of relaxation.

O Fodele!  What shall become of us now?

Who shall slice our cucumbers, feta, and tomatoes for a longing stomachs?

Who shall offer us discounts on massages for our weary muscles?

And. Who shall ensure boardwalks are easily accessible so our

Feet dare not sink in the sandy shore?

O Fodele, we shall once more learn to be on our own.

But to us, you say’st “Rest is Fodele.  Fodele is rest.

You need only return to us to remember this truth.”

As much as I enjoyed Fodele, it was nice to get back to Athens.  We had a great graduation and celebration of the people that completed the program and a lovely goodbye party on the rooftop garden overlooking the sea.   I would have had some photos of the incredible sunset but someone (not to mention any names) accidently left the video camera on when she put in it her pocket and wore out the batteries.......

One of the great things about this particular writing program is that it was designed to not force competitiveness but encouragement so people are very supportive of each other.  I finally was brave this summer and read some writing samples to the larger group (all genres can participate in the student readings) and had such encouragement from my classmates.  Woohoo!  Go Spalding!